


Introducing... Another Steve

by apolloxbvcky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes is confused, Endgame Fix-It, How Do I Tag, M/M, Parallel Universes, Sam Wilson is really done, Steve Rogers is a little shit, Timelines confuse me, kind of?, timetravel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-04-24 20:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19180897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apolloxbvcky/pseuds/apolloxbvcky
Summary: Steve is gone, Sam is Captain America, and Bucky is wrapping his head around the whole 21st century. That is, until they receive the visit of the one and only Sarah Rogers, and she's not exactly the one Bucky used to know





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i've been writing this since endgame came out and honestly i'm still not sure where i want to go with it. i really hope you enjoy it and i'll try to bring the next chapter asap (also i've read it once and twice and once again to make sure there are no grammar or spelling mistakes but knowing me there are a bunch so i'm sorry in advance)

“It’s a shield, Sam, not a Frisbee.” Bucky said, shaking his head.  
Sam looked at him, trying to catch the shield without looking, but he failed, and it hit his arm. “Man, seriously. How much training did Steve get with this thing?”  
“Dunno. Everything about the war is kinda blurry for me.” he said, walking towards the shield and throwing it against a tree. It hit and came back right to his hand.  
Sam looked at him confused. “Remind me why I’m Captain America again?”  
“According to the report you wrote, because of my PTSD and my explosive behavior. Also, that’s not the life for me. America doesn’t want me to be their symbol.” he said, giving the shield back to him.  
“Yeah, I doubt they’re excited about a black man either.”  
“Hey. You’re like the new Obama! Time’s are changing. Be optimistic. You’ve cheated death, you can fight a bunch of racist assholes.” Bucky said, smiling at him. Sam smiled back, going back to the trees to start throwing the shield again.  
Bucky stood behind him, arms crossed on his chest.  
“You guys seem like you’re having a lot of fun, don’t you now?” a feminine voice said. The men turned back, seeing a petite blonde woman dressed in black walking towards them. They both frowned. “I was looking for you. Doctor Banner told me I could find you here.” she moved closer to the men, putting her hand out so shake theirs.  
“Well, you found us.” Bucky said. “And who are you?”  
“Well, and here I thought you of all would recognize me.” the girl smiled. Bucky and Sam frowned deeper. “I’m Sarah Rogers from SHIELD, and I need to talk to the both of you.”

 

Next thing they knew, Bucky and Sam were in the SHIELD headquarters, trapped in an interrogation room.  
Bucky couldn’t stop bouncing his leg, and Sam was about to murder him.  
The blonde girl was nowhere to be found and Bucky was scared as fuck. The Government hadn’t been clear about their rogue situation now, and maybe they were going back to The Raft. Not that Bucky was scared. He knew what he had done. He knew where he belonged. But Sam had an opportunity for a fresh start. He deserved that. All he ever had done was support Steve.  
Jeez, Steve. Why did he have to go back?  
Not that... Not that Bucky was angry at him. Not that Steve didn’t deserve to be happy. But it’d be easier if he was there. Steve was a diplomatic, a charmer, in a way Bucky wasn’t.  
Also, that girl. Sarah Rogers. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Peggy’s nose and Steve’s lips. It was quite obvious who we really was. Hell, he had his mom’s name. Whose else would it be?  
But how? Well, not how. Bucky knew that part, unfortunately, and he didn’t want to imagine any of it. But when? How many kids had Steve had? Had he finally gotten his dream of having a big family, like he always said he wanted? Shit, if only he had answered Sam’s question the other day…  
Speaking of the devil, the girl got inside the room, sitting in front of them.  
“Okay, we have a bit over 10 minutes. So I have to be quick.” she started, passing them a file that said ‘PRIVATE’ in red. “As you already know, after the battle with Thanos, Captain Rogers decided to go back in time to live his life with Director Carter.” the two men nodded, as Sam took the file and started reading it. “Good. Now, contrary to everybody’s belief he didn’t go back to 1946. He actually went back to 1949, when the war was way over. And instead of explaining anyone what he had done, he said he had somehow managed to escape the ice and go back to New York. By that time, Carter was already at the SSR and had started to build what would be SHIELD alongside Howard Stark. But the thing is, the Steve Rogers that Margaret Carter married is not the same Steve Rogers that drowned the Valkyrie, and even though Captain Rogers tried to make sure everything happened as it should’ve happened, so that the timeline didn’t change, he didn’t do anything about the Steve Rogers that was still in the ice. And the timeline has changed, thus making us live in an alternate universe.”  
Bucky frowned. “What do you mean?”  
The girl looked at him. “The actions of Steve Rogers have changed the story as you guys know, and what’s in the records it’s not actually what you may remember. For example, in 2014, it was not Captain America who saved Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes Barnes from HYDRA, but a small SHIELD team lead by Agent Natasha Romanoff that discovered the STRIKE team was part of HYDRA. Or, with the Sokovia accords, the Avengers didn’t fight each other, only Agent Romanoff and Sam Wilson tried to protect you.”  
“And how did we meet?” Sam asked, confused at the use of his name in third person, as if he wasn’t in front of the girl.  
“Agent Romanoff found your house when trying to escape HYDRA with Sergeant Barnes. Do you understand what I’m saying?”  
“That due to what Steve did we’ve ended up in a timeline that’s not what the one we know?” Bucky guessed. The girl tapped her nose.  
“Exactly. Both of you and Doctor Bruce Banner are the only people who remember all of that, probably because you were the ones who were there when Rogers decided to go back. He knows the two timelines. But that’s just context, not the reason why you’re here.”  
“And what is?” Bucky asked, scratching his beard. He thought he had guessed what this girl wanted of them. But he wanted to hear it from her. God, he hoped he was right.  
“This timeline’s original Steve Rogers is still trapped in the ice. And two months ago, your Steve Rogers asked me to look for him. He said the Earth will need him. I can do nothing but comply. I wanted you to know. In case you want to be part of it. It’s up to you, but I could use help.”  
Sam and Bucky looked at each other. Sam nodded, and Bucky did the same. They both looked at her.  
“We’ll think about it.” Sam said.  
“All I can give you is one day. I need to do this as soon as possible.”  
“How can we contact you?”  
“My number’s already on your phone.” she said. “Call me only if you’re part of this. Oh, and Sergeant Barnes, Captain Wilson. SHIELD doesn’t know about this. It’s kind of a rogue mission. I need the maximum discretion.”  
“Will do. Thanks for thinking of us. Please, tell Steve that we said hi.” Bucky said, standing up and shaking her hand. She smiled, nodding.  
“I will.”

 

The following night, Sam and Bucky were on Sarah Rogers’s porch.  
“Do you really think this is a good idea?” Sam asked, pressing the bell. Bucky nodded.  
“Least we can do.” he answered.  
“Hey. I know you miss him. So do I, but you know... We have to move on.”  
Bucky frowned. Steve didn’t move on. Why should he? He had an opportunity to have his best friend back. He would do anything to make this happen. Steve constantly threw all he had overboard for him until he finally got him back; it was only fair he did the same for him. When he was about to answer Sam, the door was opened.  
Sarah Rogers, dressed on a pajama and with a towel on his head, was standing in front of them. Without all the black and her glasses on, she didn’t look that scary. Bucky swore he could see just a little bit of the old Steve, the one before the serum, in her.  
“You’re here. I wasn’t expecting you. How did you get here?” she said, crossing her arms.  
“We tracked your phone. We’ll help you.” Bucky said. Sarah nodded, looking at Sam.  
“Both of you?” Sam nodded too. “Good. I knew Sergeant Barnes would, but I wasn’t so sure about you… Please, come in.”  
She moved to the side, letting the men get in. They walked inside the living room, which was decorated in pastel colors and vintage decorations. There were a few paintings around the room, all signed by Steve. Bucky smiled. He still had the same style.  
“He’s upstairs, by the way.” Sarah said, pointing at the painting behind her. “In case you want to see him.”  
Bucky and Sam looked at each other and then started walking to the stairs. “Wait.” Sarah stopped them. “Before you go you must know something. Steve... The serum may have gotten rid of the scoliosis and the asthma, but it can’t do anything against old age. I can’t promise that he’ll know who you guys are…” she looked straight at Bucky. His heart fell. He remembered seeing how Steve looked at him in the beginning, when he couldn’t quite remember who he was, or his past, or anything about the war. And now the tables had turned. Bucky thought destiny was a cruel bitch, and wondered if it would ever let them go… Probably not, at this rate.  
He hoped two things now. That Steve, his Steve, was trapped in that ice. And that Steve, Sarah’s Steve, could still, somehow, remember him.  
Sam and Bucky started walking upstairs and they reached a room in the end of the hall. Sam knocked twice and opened the door just a crack. He put his head in, and saw Steve on a bed, reading a book. The old man looked up from his book, smiling at him.  
“Hello. Can I do anything for you?” he said. Sam bit his lip, looking down. Then he looked back at him and smiled.  
“I brought you some company?” he said, and opened the door completely, letting Steve see Bucky, and Bucky see Steve. Bucky’s heart stopped. Sure, he had seen this Steve back when he met them up in the lake to give Sam his shield and all, but seeing him, in the bed, probably sick, was something else. It was like 1936 all over again, when Steve had gotten that stupid pneumonia that almost killed him and he couldn’t move from his bed, no matter how much he begged to. Bucky had spent every night sitting by his bed, crying and praying that it wasn’t time yet, even if he didn’t believe in any kind of God.  
It sure wasn’t, but maybe 87 years and two lifetimes later was.  
“Bucky.” Steve whispered, and frowned. “When did you leave your hair that long? You had it short just yesterday. And what’s with that beard?”  
Bucky looked at Sam, panicking. Steve thought it was… what year? What decade?  
“Uhm.” Bucky said. “I’ve been growing them for a while, pal. You should pay more attention.” he said, smiling down at his friend.  
Steve shook his head, laughing. “Yeah. Sorry, my bad. Who’s your friend?” he asked, smiling at Sam.  
“I’m Sam Wilson. Nice to meet you.” he said, offering him a hand. Steve shook it with his weak, wrinkled one. Bucky saw the reflection of his wedding band and looked down. It still stung a bit, that Steve had gotten married and he hadn’t been there to see it. That he had lived his life without him.  
“Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you too. Bucky, do we have dinner for three?” he asked, Bucky frowned, biting his lip.  
“I think I can whip up something, Steve.” he said, trying to smile at him. Steve nodded, and then looked at Sam.  
“Tell me, where did you meet Bucky? I don’t remember him mentioning you.” Sam smiled, and took a chair to sit beside the bed. Bucky looked at them, unsure of what to do, until there was a knock on the door.  
“Hey, guys. What are you doing?” Sarah poked her head in. Steve looked at her, and then Bucky.  
“Another friend?” Steve said, winking at him. Bucky blushed. That was his grandchild. Sure, she looked like him, and she was really attractive, but how could he ever? He shook his head.  
“Not like that.” he replied. Sarah came inside the room with a tray on her hands. It had a bowl of soup and a pair of plums on it, along with a glass of water. She put it on the table beside Steve’s bed and then smiled at him.  
“There you go. Hope you like it.” she said. “I’ll be downstairs, if you need me.” she said, and left the room. Bucky looked at the door, and then at Sam and Steve. He bit his lip.  
“I… I’m going to go with her. See if she needs anything. Uh. Bye, Stevie.” he said. The old man waved at him.  
He left the room and went downstairs. Hearing noise on the kitchen, he walked there.  
“Hey.” he said, not getting quite in the room. Sarah turned to look at him. He frowned. “You did something.” Sarah had taken the towel he had on her hair off, and now Bucky could see her hair. Shorter, not even reaching her shoulders, and red. Almost like... “You look like her. Like Natalia.”  
Sarah smiled, leaning against the table and touching the ends of her hair. “Well, thanks. That was the goal. I wanted to... honor her, I guess” she shrugged.  
Bucky frowned, walking in. He sat on one of the chairs, looking up at her. “I thought the timeline had changed.”  
Sarah nodded, scratching her head. “It did. But turns out whoever was dead in yours...”  
“Is dead here too.” Bucky finished. Sarah nodded. “So, Tony...”  
“Yes. And Director Carter too. King T’Chaka Udaku of Wakanda, Pietro Maximoff…”  
“Loki?” Sarah nodded again. “Gamora?”  
“All of them, Bucky. That’s why we’re looking for him. The world just lost two of her best protectors. We need heroes. New ones. In case someone like Thanos ever came.” Bucky smiled, looking down. She sounded just like him. Like both of them. There was no doubt that was their seed, right in front of him. His heart ached. He would have given anything to see her grow up, to hear her call him Uncle Bucky…  
“Do you think Steve will be okay with Sam being Captain America?” he asked, trying to drift the conversation away.  
“We’ll explain.” she said, sitting in from of him. “We’ll improvise.”  
Bucky nodded. Sarah stayed looking at him. After a minute or two, he frowned.  
“Are you okay?” he asked her, raising one eyebrow.  
“You should cut your hair. SHIELD can’t know about this. And I know they’ll be following me. Us. They always are. Cut your hair. Leave the beard. We’re going undercover, and you’ve already been a wanted criminal once. We need to blend in, and we can’t with you still looking like the Winter Soldier. Which reminds me…” she got up, walking towards her jacket on the counter. She started looking in her pockets, and when she finally found whatever she was looking for, she walked back to Bucky. “Roll your sleeve up, please.” she said.  
Bucky obeyed and she put a little disk on her wrist. She pressed a small button on it and Bucky saw amazed how his metal arm started becoming flesh again. Or actually, becoming to look like flesh.  
“How did you do that?” he asked, moving his arm amazed.  
“You believe in time travel but not in this?” she smiled.  
“Well, Stark Industries didn’t get to create a flying car. I’m hoping the little kid will, before I die.” Sarah chuckled.  
“So, one problem solved. Now, let me cut your hair.” she said, putting her hands on her waist.  
Oh, boy.

 

One hour later, Sarah was behind him on the bathroom, brushing what was left of his hair. It was shorter now, kind of how he had had it during the war. She ran her fingers through it, combing it to the left, and Bucky felt a shiver down his spine. It had been a lot of time since someone had touched him like this. The man looked at her through the mirror.  
“What?” she asked.  
“It’s… weird. It looks like…”  
She smiled, looking down at his hair. “Yeah. He always liked to draw you with short hair. He said it reminded him when you were happy. He only drew you with long hair if you were wearing Wakandan clothes.”  
“Oh.” Bucky said. Steve had kept drawing him. Steve had drawn him. Steve had kept drawing, and he had kept drawing him, of everything. He smiled softly, looking down at his lap.  
“I’m going to go talk to Sam. We need to do something with him, too.” she said, leaving the room.  
Bucky stayed there, sitting in front of the mirror. He ran his flesh fingers through his hair. It felt weird when he reached the ends and his hand could only grab air. He sighed, standing up and walking out the bathroom. He saw Sarah and Sam leave Steve’s bedroom and go down the stairs.  
Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the room. He knocked once, even though the door was open. Inside, Steve was finishing to eat what Sarah had brought earlier. The old man looked at him, smiling.  
“Come in.” Bucky obeyed, sitting in a chair beside the bed Sam must have left there. “You look good.” Somehow he knew this was not the same Steve he had talked to earlier. This Steve knew what year it was and what had happened to them. This was the Steve that had survied war, and fought 117 countries for him. It was weird, and he felt sorry for Sarah. He remembered younger Steve, telling him once in Wakanda how Peggy had been the same a bit before she passed. How she wouldn’t recognize him sometimes, and others, would know everything about him.  
Bucky smiled, touching his hair again. “Thanks. It feels weird, though.”  
“Has this something to do with Sarah’s new look?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. Bucky bit his lip. He couldn’t lie to Steve.  
“Uhm. Yes. But I can’t tell you. I think.”  
Steve shook his head, smiling. “I think I already know. I asked her, remember?” Bucky nodded. Steve knew now. Would he in an hour? “Buck. Promise me one thing. You will protect her.”  
Bucky frowned. Sarah looked like someone who could protect herself without help. Her blood had the super serum gene, for fucks sake. But. “Of course.” he answered.  
Steve nodded, and showed Bucky the plum he had on his hand. “Good for memory.” Steve said, winking at him. Bucky scoffed.  
“Yeah, so I’ve heard.” he answered.  
“I’m really glad you’re back, punk.”  
“I’m glad you’re, too, jerk. I heard about Nat and Tony. I’m sorry you had to lose them again.”  
Steve didn’t say anything for a while. Bucky bit his tongue. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe he didn’t know. He didn’t remember.  
“It’s okay.” Steve finally said. “This time, the second one. It’s been so different. I saw that man come to this world, I saw him grow up. I took care of him when his parents couldn’t. I saw him become a man, go through his down and ups without being able to do anything at all. I saw him in his best moments, in his worst; knowing what he would become. I’ve been by his side for so long, I don’t remember what it’s like to not have Tony Stark with me.” Bucky saw the tears start to roll down Steve’s cheeks. He wanted to hug him, dry the tears away. But he didn’t. “I think I’ll finally know what it feels like. And Natasha… She was part of this family. She was a Rogers. And she saved you. And she brought Sam. We were all a family. And now she’s gone and you and Sam don’t remember. I knew this day would come, but I sure wasn’t ready for what happened.”  
“What do you mean?” Bucky was confused.  
“I thought, when the day came, that you’d have the timelines mixed. That you’d remember what happened in both of them… But it’s more like you took this timeline’s Bucky’s place without even knowing.”  
“Is… there something I should know?” he asked, raising his eyebrow. He moved closer to the bed.  
“Hasn’t Sarah told you everything?” Steve said, looking at his eyes.  
“How would I know?”  
“Well, if she hasn’t…” Steve was interrupted by someone coming into the bedroom.  
“Steve?” Sarah said, making the two men look up at her. “I need Bucky. We have… things to discuss.”  
Steve nodded, looking at Bucky. The brunet stood up, walking towards the door. “It was nice seeing you.” he said, looking back at Steve. The older one smiled.  
“Go with Sam.” Sarah whispered. “I’ll be right down.”  
Bucky nodded and did as told. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Sam there with three big bags. “We’re going on a road trip.” he claimed, throwing one of the bags to his chest.

 

They were on a blue car, which reminded Bucky too much about Berlin. Sarah was driving, and Sam was napping on the back seat. He was on the passenger, and was looking front the whole time. Sarah kept glancing at him.  
After half an hour, he turned to see her.  
“What?” he said. She smiled, and shook his head.  
“How into pop culture are you by now?” she asked.  
“Uh. Not much. Shuri tried to, but the goats seemed easier to handle. Sam’s got a list of things I should check out, though. Why?”  
“I think I’ve got a few movies for you to watch.” she said. She giggled, and Bucky frowned.  
“Well, I guess you could send them to me later, or something.”  
“Sure.” she said. She was still smiling, and Bucky was still confused. That smile seemed too much like Peggy’s, when she was about to create some havoc. Bucky had only seen that smile a few times, mostly when a smart ass tried to minimize her. They all went back home with a broken nose. 

They were in Pennsylvania, near Easton, when Sarah stopped the car in a gas station. Sam was still asleep, and she told Bucky to stay there. She went inside the shop, and Bucky stayed in the car, looking out the window. It’d been five minutes when he saw a black car park right in front of theirs. It had tinted black windows too, so he frowned. It was weird to see a car at all, given the hour, much more one like that. There was an itch on the back of his neck, something telling him to be aware. He looked back at Sam, who hadn’t moved an inch.  
There was movement on the car, and someone opened the passenger door. Bucky frowned even more when he recognized him. That was Agent Hobbord, who he had seen around SHIELD a few times. He looked down, trying to look like he was checking his phone, and saw him go inside the shop.  
He glanced at Sam again, and got out of the car. He put his hands inside his pockets and walked inside the shop. He looked for the red hair, and seeing it between the shelves, he walked towards her. She was taking some food and putting it on a basket. He walked towards her and hugged her from behind. She didn’t move.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Bucky moved his face to make it seem he was kissing her cheek, but in reality he whispered in her ear.  
“SHIELD is here. Agent Hobbord. Two shelves behind us.” he moved to put her chin against his shoulder. “I like those.” he pointed at some Reese’s.  
She giggled, taking a pack. “Is the kid okay?” she asked.  
“Yeah. Asleep, still.” he answered. He kept hugging her, shielding her body from the agent’s sight.  
“That’s good. We don’t want him to be too tired when we reach Pittsbourgh.” she said, lacing her free hand with his. They walked to the cashier, payed and went back to the car. Bucky heard the agent walk out behind them seconds later.  
They got inside the car and Sarah gave him the bag. “Do you have your phone here?” she asked. Bucky shook his head.  
“I left it at yours.”  
“Great. What about Sam?” he shrugged.  
“Ask him when he wakes up.”  
“We can’t risk it.” she said, and turned to see the man sleeping. She took a deep breath and yelled. “WILSON!”  
The man jerked awake, looking at the woman. He frowned. “Dude. You woke me up.” he said.  
“Yeah, I know. Do you have your phone here?” Sam shook his head, and looked at Bucky.  
“Why did you let her do that?”  
“I didn’t know she was going to.” he smiled. Sam rolled his eyes, closing his eyes again.  
“Wake me up when we get there.”  
Sarah chuckled. “Okay, see you in 20 hours then.” she started the car, seeing the black car leave the gas station. Bucky frowned, looking at him.  
“Where are we going?” he asked.  
“Louisiana.” she said, driving away from the gas station. “Ever been?” Bucky bit the inside of his mouth.  
“No. Not really, in fact.”

 

They reached Roanoke, Virginia, by the time the sun was starting to come out. Sam had woken up an hour earlier and had changed places with Sarah. Bucky was still self conscious about driving, and decided it’d be better if he didn’t for now.  
So the red head was now in the back seat, Sam in the driving one, and Bucky was still on the passenger.  
Sarah had been silent for most of the drive, but Sam wasn’t like that. He had put on music and was singing softly to it, soft enough not to wake Sarah. Bucky was looking through the window, and sometimes he looked back to check on the girl.  
“You know what’s weird?” Sam said. Bucky looked at him. “She’s Steve’s granddaughter. And she’s like our age.”  
“You know what’s weirder?” he replied. “I’m 105.”  
Sam chuckled, shaking his head. “Our life is nuts, dude, I tell you. Do you think this is gonna work?” Bucky shrugs.  
“I hope it does. I really miss him.” Sam nodded.  
“Me too. At least you knew he was going to do it. It took me by surprise.” Bucky smiled. He had known, yeah. Not because Steve had told him, but because he knew him. He knew him better than he knew himself, he knew him as fine as he knew he needed oxygen to survive, or that the sky above his head was blue. He knew his every movement, his every face. He knew all that there was to know about Steve Rogers, and even more. He looked at Sam.  
“It was written all over his face. He looked guilty when he said good bye. I hate that he felt guilty about it. He deserved to be happy, and I know Peggy was his happiness.”  
Sam frowned. “You think he wasn’t happy with us?”  
“I don’t know.” he stayed quiet for a while. “I have a theory.”  
“Shoot.”  
“He knew he was going to miss Tony and Nat. He was going to feel guilty that it was them and not him. Going back meant he’d get to see them again, somehow. And he knew we would also be there, so he wouldn’t really lose any of us.”  
“Did I ever tell you how smart you are?” Sam said. Bucky laughed, shaking his head again. “Hey, didn’t Sarah say he tried to make everything the same?”  
“Yeah, and?”  
“What about the Avengers, man? What about, I don’t know, New York? Or Sokovia, or Laos? Where was Captain America the whole time?”  
Bucky laughed. “Do you really think he didn’t put the suit on and do all that?”  
Sam raised an eye. “He was 94 in 2012.”  
“Yeah, Sam. A 94 years old super soldier. And, you know. Steve Stubborn Rogers.”  
“I thought his middle name was Grant?” Bucky groaned, shaking his head once again.  
“Only on his ID.”  
“Hey, how do you think they called Sarah’s dad?”  
“I hope not Grant. I hate that name.”  
“I bet that it’s James. James Rogers. It sounds good.”  
“Samuel Rogers.”  
They looked at each other and smiled. Then, at the same time, they said: “Anthony Rogers.”  
They started laughing, and kept talking the rest of the time, until Sarah woke up right before they reached Athens. 

 

“What’s in Louisiana, anyway?” Sam asked from the backseat. It was almost night again, and they were past Birmingham. Sarah smiled to him through the rear mirror.  
“A friend.” she replied.  
“Oh, yeah. That explains everything.” he said, rolling his eye. Bucky chuckled.  
“Come on, Sam. Trust her a little. What is she even going to do to us?”  
Sarah side looked at him.  
“I know a hundred ways to kill you with just my feet.” she says. Bucky smiled.  
“And I know a hundred ways to get rid of you. Remember, I trained the one who trained you.”  
Sarah side smiled, and kept driving. Sam looked at her.  
“So the red is because of Nat, huh? Nice. It suits you. Now you look one hundred percent European.”  
“I’m American. Legally, at least.” she said.  
“Your family is full of immigrants, sister.” Sam said. She raised an eyebrow.  
“And yours ain’t?”  
Sam smiled and cooed at her. “Look, Buck. The European knows slang.” Bucky laughed, seeing the girl roll her eyes to the back of her skull, hearing her mutter she should’ve done this alone. 

It was night again when they finally reached their destiny, a small house north from New Orleans.  
Sarah parked the car in front of it, and got off it. The men imitated her. They all walked to the door, and Sarah knocked twice. Not even two minutes later, a woman, probably on her thirties, opened, smiling at them.  
“Sarah.” she said, taking her in a tight hug. Sarah hugged her back almost as tight.  
“Hey, Mon.” she whispered.  
Bucky and Sam looked at each other and then back at them. Sam cleared her throat. The girls broke apart and looked at them.  
“Sergeant Barnes, Captain Wilson; this is Monica Rambeau.”  
The girl smiled, shaking their hands. “Hello. My mother talked me about you guys.” she smiled. “Come in, please.”  
The four of them walked inside the house, which was the common house someone would imagine a southern girl who lived alone would have. Bucky didn’t find anything special about the house, except for the lack of other people.  
“You know I’d love to stay.” the redhead said. “But we’re in kind of a hurry.” Monica nodded.  
“I know. You know I think you should stay the night.”  
“I wish. But SHIELD is after us. I don’t want to…”  
“You know Fury’s got a soft spot on me, right?” she said. Sarah chuckled, nodding.  
“Still.”  
Monica nodded, and guided them to the back of the house. On the backyard, there was an airplane, which made Bucky almost fall on his butt.  
“Okay. Most people usually have, I don’t know, lawnmowers and stuff. But I can do an airplane.” he heard Sam beside him. Sarah shoot them a hateful look, and Sam shut up.  
“Who’s gonna drive?” Bucky asked. He knew for a fact Sam and him couldn’t.  
“I will.” Monica said, showing them her helmet. “Now get in, losers. We’re going to find a super soldier.” 

 

It takes them half a day to reach their destination. When they put their feet on the ground again, they’re somewhere lost in Canada. Bucky feels like they’re on the edge of the world. They probably are. He looks at the ocean, and knows Steve is out there, somewhere, frozen. He sighs and Sarah pats his arm.  
“Hey. We’re gonna find him in no time. Grandpa may not remember many things, but he managed to steal some SHIELD intel before he came back. I’ve got the exact coordinates.”  
Bucky smiles at her, nodding, and then notices her shivering. He puts his flesh arm around her shoulders.  
“It’s a bit cold, ain’t it?” he jokes. She rolls her eyes and they walk towards Sam and Monica.  
“The boat should be here in no time.” she says.  
Bucky looks around them and notices for the first time they’re actually in a port. There are a few small ships, probably property of the villagers, because they all look like they’re for fishing. Sarah shivers again, and he runs a hand down her arm.  
“You should’ve brought a thicker coat.” Monica says. Sarah doesn’t answer, and Bucky looks down at her.  
“Hey, you okay?” her nose is red, and her cheeks are a bit pink too. She breathes in and nods.  
“I’m fine.” she says, looking away to the ocean, and Bucky’s heart sinks recognizing the gesture.  
Steve used to do the same back in the time, when he was sick but didn’t want him to worry. He covers her with his other arm, and it’s like they’re hugging, and Sarah doesn’t break apart, but she doesn’t lean in the touch either, so it feels a bit awkward. He looks at Sam, who’s biting his lip trying not to laugh.  
Then, Monica tells them the boat is coming and they all walk to the dock. From the boat comes a face they all know, which surprises Bucky. What is she doing here?  
“Hey, losers.” Valkyrie says. She hugs Monica and waves at Sarah, who’s still between Bucky’s arms. She waves back, quickly putting her hands back in her pockets, but they’re out long enough for Bucky to notice they’re getting purple.  
“Sarah.” he whispers. She shakes her head.  
“I’m fine, Barnes.” Bucky closes his eyes and sighs. This is a combination of a Rogers and a Carter, after all. It’s the epitome of stubbornness. There’s nothing he can do against it. He must surrender to the girl.  
“What are you doing here? Did everybody know about this except us?” Sam asks. “Didn’t you say they don’t know about the previous timeline.”  
“There’s no previous timeline, it’s yours and ours. They don’t know about yours, they just trust me.” Sarah says. She shivers again, and Bucky holds her closer. Valkyrie looks at them.  
“Let’s get in the boat. I’ve got blankets and soup. It’s going to be a long journey.”

 

When they’re inside the boat, Bucky doesn’t move from Sarah’s side. It’s like 1932 again, and Steve’s sick in bed, almost going to die, and he can’t move from beside the bed because God knows what would have happened by the time he’s back.  
So he stays beside her, covering her in blankets and coats and making sure the soup doesn’t go too cold. She keeps telling him to go away, go through the plan with Sam, Monica and Valkyrie, until she realizes he’s about as stubborn as she is, and they stay there one beside the other, not talking or anything, just… staying.  
After a while, Bucky looks at her. “What are we going to do when we find him?” he asks.  
Sarah looks back at him. “Uhm. What do you mean?”  
“Are we… taking him to New York? Is SHIELD keeping him?”  
Sarah looks down at her lap. “SHIELD’s got nothing to do with this. This is our mission. We’ll take him to New York and we’ll wait until he wakes up. And then we’ll…. I think he deserves to choose. Your Steve didn’t. He got thrown into a battle with some aliens and a god just weeks after he woke up. So maybe he should choose this time.”  
Bucky nods. “Yeah. That’s nice. What if he wants to go back to be Captain America?”  
Sarah shrugs, but it’s almost unnoticeable under all the layers she’s. “I don’t know. We’ll figure.”  
They stay silent again, until Sarah talks. “Did you know the serum doesn’t get passed over?”  
Bucky frowns and looks at her. “What?”  
“That’s why I’m… so cold. My dad didn’t get the serum, but he got the diseases. And so did I.”  
Bucky gaps, like a fish, and then, he puts his arm around her again, rubbing it up and down to create some friction. She laughs.  
“Yeah, that was exactly what I expected you to do.” she says. He frowns and breaks away. She shakes her head. “No, uhm. Actually, it’d be better if you kept doing that.”  
He nods, and gets back to do it again. Sarah leans into him. “It’s better than it was then. Medicine is better and I’m not as bad as he was. It wears down generation after generation, I guess. My dad’s deaf, though. I only have asthma and low defenses. But my heart’s okay, and I’m actually able to get some muscles.” Bucky chuckles. “It kinda suck growing up, though. It took me a while to get into the intelligence business. I still think I only got in because I’m a Rogers, and well. I’m basically the owner of SHIELD, so.”  
“You are?” Bucky asks. “So, you’re like… my boss?”  
“You don’t work for SHIELD. You never have. Sam and you are… self-sufficient, or something. You don’t trust us. Anyway, yes, I am. Peggy and Howard founded it, so it went down to my dad and Tony and then it’ll go down to me. And Morgan, I guess, someday.”  
Bucky nodded. “You sound like him sometimes, you know?”  
“Yeah, people tell me that all the time. And you see, I’m proud to be a Rogers, I’m proud to be his granddaughter and all that, but… Most of the time I’m just his granddaughter. I’ve been in the spotlight since I was born. No matter how much they tried to, press always found me. Did you know I get stopped on the streets to get selfies with people?” Bucky chuckles. “You do too, sometimes. I mean, the other Bucky. The one you replaced.”  
“It’s a bit weird.” Bucky says. “That I replaced him.”  
“Yes, it is. I don’t know, probably Strange understands this more than us but… But.”  
“But he can’t know.” Bucky finishes. She nods.  
“Nobody can.” she mutters. “Whatever he wants when he comes back from the ice, he can’t… He can’t be Steve Rogers again. He can’t be Captain America again. People can’t know there are two Steve Rogers. They can’t know what my Steve did.”  
Bucky sighs. “Do you think that’s what he’ll want?”  
She looks up at him, and then nods. “I think I know exactly what he’ll want.” 

 

Sarah’s lips are purple by the moment Valkyrie gets inside and tells them they found the plane. Bucky puts one arm around the redhead’s shoulders and they walk outside. Sarah’s shivering again as soon as they step out, and she moves closer to Bucky.  
When they reach the other three, Monica looks at them. “We’re currently above him. Are you ready for this?” Sarah nods, and clears her throat.  
“I only have two suits. Who’s going to do it?”  
“It should be me. I can’t get as cold as you guys and I’m strong enough to bring him up. And I have my sword.” Valkyrie says. Monica nods.  
“And me.” Sam says. They look at him. “Honestly, no offense, but I’m the best option here. Sarah can’t come out of the mountain of blankets she’s in and if Bucky got inside that water his arm would freeze. And you, Monica…”  
“No, I get it. Yeah, okay. Valkyrie and Sam it is.” Monica says. “Where are the suits, Sarah?”  
“I, uhm. They’re inside.” she says, not opening her eyes. “On my bag…”  
“Let’s go.” Sam says, and he and Valkyrie walk inside. Minutes later, they come out with a white, red and black suit. Bucky frowns. He knows those suits. They remind him of something bad. Suddenly he feels fear that Sam is leaving him, too. He looks down at the girl in his arms.  
“Did you steal that from the Avengers?” he asks Sarah.  
“I… may have.” she says, looking at the ground.  
“It’s okay, it’s not like Tic-Tac is using them everyday.” Sam says. He walks with Valkyrie to the edge of the boat and they look at each other. “After you, your Majesty.”  
Valkyrie scoffs and puts the helmet on. She jumps in the water, and Sam follows.  
“Okay.” Monica says, and taps something on her tablet. Bucky gets surprised at not having noticed it before. “Guys? Can you hear me?” she says, pressing on her ear. She sighs in relief. “Okay. Keep me updated.”  
Sarah shivers again, and Bucky looks at her. Her nose is red. He tightens his arms around her and she looks at him.  
“Thanks.” he smiles.

 

It takes them at least three hours, and Sarah has to go back inside before she passes out from frostbite, until they have Steve Rogers on the board.  
It hurts, Bucky realizes, seeing him covered in frostbite from head to feet, with his old suit and the shield in his arm, almost dead. They put him in a stretcher, and then look at each other.  
“What now?” Sam asks.  
“I’ll tell you what.” they hear, and look back to see Doctor Strange on the other side of the boat, a portal right behind him. 

 

They walk through the portal and suddenly they’re back in New York. Sarah’s face isn’t freezing anymore, and her nose is back to her normal skin tone. Her lips are still a bit purple, but at least she’s not wearing ten blankets now.  
Steve’s still asleep on the stretcher, and Strange is looking down at him.  
“What were you thinking you were going to do after you found him?” he asks, looking at the redhead. She shrugs.  
“I don’t know. I never though I would actually find him.”  
“So you assembled this team for… nothing?” Sam asked. The girl looked at him.  
“My grandpa is not really the sanest guy out there, okay?” she sighs. “How did you even find out about us, huh?” Sarah asks Strange. He scoffs.  
“What part about the whole 14,000,065 universes I saw did you not get? I’m the Sorcerer Supreme for a reason, and that reason is not letting you fiddle around with super soldiers.” he says. The girl frowns, crossing her arms.  
“Can you wake him up?” Monica asks.  
“Yes. I can. But it’s better if we defroze him first, don’t you think?” He moves a hand above Steve’s whole body, and all the frost on his body melts away. Bucky opens his eyes, amazed. “He’ll wake up in a bit. We should move this somewhere else.” 

They walk to the following room, where the magician offers them some tea. Sarah rejects it at first, but when Bucky offers his cup to her, she takes it. Bucky sees how the color moves back to her cheeks sip by sip.  
“Well, what you did today was dangerous.” Stephen says once they all have a cup on their hands. “You should know better.” he says, looking at Valkyrie.  
“A friend needed help. I’m a friend before I am a queen.” she says. Stephen nods.  
“And I respect that. Did you know I have a list about people potentially dangerous towards this planet?” he comments, casually. Sam frowns.  
“And we’re on it?” he asks. Stephen shakes his head.  
“No.” he glances at Sarah. “Only you.”  
The girl frowns, leaving the tea cup on the table in front of him.  
“Me?” she asks, confused.  
“What you did today, Mrs Rogers, could’ve teared up the timeline. Bringing this Steve Rogers back when there’s another Steve Rogers still living is dangerous for our universe.”  
“What do you mean?” Bucky asks, not liking the turn of the conversation.  
“Steve Rogers already changed the timelines when he went back to live his life with Peggy carter, but Sarah Rogers may create a hole on the space and time as we know it. You can’t change reality just like that.”  
Sarah stood up, hitting the table and dropping the tea all over it. “What do you mean?” she shouted. Her eyes were tearing up. Bucky realized they both were thinking about the same thing.  
“I mean.” Stephen stood up, looking at her. “The only way for your plan to work is if the Steve Rogers you know, dies.” 

 

After that, Sarah ran away. Bucky noticed the Sanctum Sanctorum was way bigger than he thought after trying to look for her for half an hour. He finally fund her in a bathroom, crying on the floor. He sat beside her.  
“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, out of politeness. He already knew the answer.  
“Yeah, of course I am.” she scoffed, drying her tears on the sleeves of her jacket. Bucky sighed.  
“I know this is not… ideal, but…”  
“Bucky?” she said. “Just. Shut up, okay? I don’t really want to talk right now.”  
Bucky bit his lip, nodding. “Yeah, okay. Uhm. When you want to. If you want to. Just… I’ll be right outside.” he said, standing up and getting out of the bathroom. He sat on the floor, fidgeting with the zip of his jacket, and waiting, when he heard steps near him. He looked up, and in front of him, was Steve Rogers in all his glory.  
The blond frowned, his eyes immediately tearing up, and whispered.  
“Bucky?”


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky is crying, and Steve is sitting in front of him, all the way over the hallway, and he’s crying too. They’re looking at each other and not saying a word. And Bucky knows there’s another Rogers crying on the other side of the wall he’s leaning against, but he can’t move his eyes from the one in front of him, because it’s Steve, his Steve, and he’s back.   
Bucky doesn’t know how long it’s been since he arrived, but Sarah is still in the bathroom so it mustn’t have been long.   
He doesn’t know what to do. Should he reach Steve? Should he touch him? Should he speak? He’s lost, and confused, and tired, and the cold from the North Atlantic is not even out from his body yet, and all he wants is to curl against his friend and cry because he’s back and he can hug him.   
Steve keeps looking at him, his tears running down his cheeks and his eyes widening. He has written all over his face the fact that he still doesn’t believe what he’s seeing. He doesn’t speak either, and Bucky knows, because he knows Steve, that his mind is going a mile per second and it’s screaming at him, because seconds ago he was diving an entire airplane into the ocean and now he has his best friend, the one who had fallen from a train and died four days earlier, in front of him.  
It’s not until the blond has stopped crying and his tears have dried against his cheeks, leaving their marks on them, that he speaks up.  
“H-how?” he simply says. And then he shakes his head, strongly closing his eyes, and looks at the brunet again. “You’re dead. I’m dead, right? This is Heaven?”   
Bucky chuckles, because if Steve knew what he had been through, what he had escaped by waking up in 2023, he wouldn’t think it was Heaven.   
“No, pal. It’s just New York.” he replies, smiling at him. Steve frowns, like he used to do when he was a child and was confused.   
“New York? But I- Where’s Peggy? I was talking to her and then… How are you here?” Bucky sighs, looking away, and closes his eyes. When he’s about to answer, the door beside him is opened, and Sarah comes out of it, eyes and cheeks red and swollen and her phone on her hand. She falls right by his side, and he holds her against his chest. She sobs and mutters something about Sharon calling and Strange being right. 

 

Bucky is at Steve’s funeral. Weirdly enough, it doesn’t take him a lot to process that. He figures it probably is due to all the almost deaths Steve survived on his childhood. Bucky had been ready his whole life to see Steve die on him.  
Doesn’t mean it hurts less.  
He knows he didn’t know this Steve, not the man he had become when he had traveled back in the past; not the husband, father, uncle or grandfather Sarah had known. But he had known him since the punk was six, so he didn’t feel too weird being in a funeral full of people he didn’t know.   
Well, that wasn’t completely true. He knew the Avengers, they all- most of them were there. Unfortunately, not the closest ones to Steve, except for Sam, who was on his right. Sarah was two benches in front of him, with the rest of his family. He had finally met Samuel, Steve’s son and Sarah’s father, and his wife. Sharon was there, too, with her mother. Steve didn’t have much more family.   
To his left was Shuri, who had arrived with T’Challa, Nakia and Okoye; and it only stung a little that this had been the first time he saw them since they came back to life. He should go visit Wakanda as soon as he could. If he still was welcome there, in this parallel universe or whatever it was.   
Every now and then, Sam would pat his arm, smiling down at him to comfort him. It bothered Bucky that Sam was on his therapist mode on the exact moment, since he was mourning a loss too. He had been Steve’s best friend for some time too.   
Strange wasn’t there. He had decided it’d be better if he stayed at the Sanctum with just-brought-to-life-Steve, because he shouldn’t go to his own funeral, specially when nobody knows you’re alive; and they all decided it was the best idea.   
Bucky was a bit mad that it wouldn’t be him the one to break the news to Steve (Hey, man, you’re in 2023!), but that was fine. He wouldn’t have known how to do it either way. 

After the funeral, he walks up to Sarah, who is standing beside the coffin. He puts a hand on the small of her back, and she leans in the touch. She sighs.   
“I think he knew.” she mutters. Bucky frowns.   
“Knew what?” he asks. She looks up at him.  
“What would happen to him, I guess. Somehow he knew he wasn’t going to make it out alive.” Bucky sighs, running his hand up and down her back.  
“He has always been a self sacrificial bitch.” he answered. Then, he looks up at the cross in front of them, and grimaces. They are still in a church. “Sorry.” he says. Sarah chuckles, shaking her head.   
“We should head out. We have things to do.” she says, turning back.  
“Hey, wait.” he stops her, taking her by the wrist. “You’re not thinking of going straight back to the Sanctorum, right?”  
“Why not?” she asks, frowning. There it is, Steve all over her face again.   
“I just… don’t think you’re in the right state of mind. You should rest for a while, maybe wait until things have calmed down a bit.” he suggested.  
“And meanwhile, what? I sit down and look pretty meanwhile you reintroduce a super soldier from the 40s into society? I don’t fucking think so.” she says, and walks outside of the church. Bucky sighs, following her. Fucking Stubborn Rogerses. 

So they both, along with Sam, end up in the Sanctum Sanctorum again, same room as the day before, but with Steve in front of them this time. He’s looking at Sarah, directly across from him, examining her face. And then, he breaks a soft smile.  
“You look at lot like Peggy.” he whispers. Bucky looks at Sarah, and frowns. No. She looks a lot like him. But Peggy? Okay, sure, their noses are alike, and maybe even her lips could look the same if Sarah wore the red lipstick Carter used to love so much. But those eyebrows, and those eyes, even her cheekbones, are all Steve. If they had told him they were twins, Bucky would have believed him.   
“Thank you.” Sarah says. She is still wearing her black dress, the same way Sam and him are still wearing their black suits.   
Steve then looks at Sam, and smiles at him. “The magician told me you’re the new Captain America.” he says, and Sam nods. “That’s good. Maybe you should keep that for a bit until I… wrap my head around all this.” he shakes his head and looks down. “It may take a while.”   
Sam nods, and offers him his support by reaching out and patting his knee. “Take all the time you need, man. And if you need anything at all, look for me at the VA. If I’m not there, at least I’ll make sure you’re under the best hands.”  
“Thanks.” he says, and Bucky decides that, by his tone, Steve is not stepping in the VA for a long, long time.   
Then the blond looks at him, and his face looks like a tragedy, and his eyes start welling up again, and Bucky can only smile and scoot closer to him.   
“Hey, punk.” he whispers. “Stop being such a sap, yeah?” he says, and Steve breaks up crying again and hugs him, and Bucky hides his face against his neck and runs his flesh hand down the blond’s back. “It’s okay, Steve. It’s okay, I’m here. I’m not leaving, yeah? I’m never leaving you again.”   
When they break apart, Sam and Sarah are gone, and Steve looks down at him, frowning. Bucky smiles and runs a hand through his cheek. “What?”  
“The… magician. Strange?” Bucky nods. “He told me you… He told me about HYDRA. He told me everything you’ve been through and. Bucky. I’m-I’m so sorry. I should’ve made them look for you, should’ve gone back for your body. I shouldn’t have left Winnie and the girls bury an empty casket.” he says, and he starts crying again. Bucky hugs him again, pressing him against his shoulder. Steve wets his jacket, but it’s okay, because at least he’s back. 

Sam decides that, until further notice, Steve should move in with him. The Sanctum is big and luxurious, but it doesn’t feel like a home. And Steve now needs a place where he can feel safe and comfortable.   
And that’s why Bucky’s moving in too. Thankfully enough, he doesn’t have a lot of things, other than his civilian clothes and his notebooks, there’s nothing more on his re-built Avengers compound bedroom.   
Because, yeah, funnily enough, it only took them a month and a half to build another compound after Thanos and his army destroyed it to the bone.   
Weird what a lot of money and saving the world for the trillionth time can make, huh?  
So they put all his things in a box, and when Rhodey and Wanda confront them they say Bucky’s sick of living in something so big, having been used to his little hut on Wakanda, and that they’re going back to the city for a while.   
And yes, Rhodey, Sam will be back for training every day, because he can fucking fly.   
And when they’re back in New York, they pick Steve up from the Sanctum and drive him to the little block on Queens that Sam purchased a few years ago.   
On the backseat, Steve looks out the window, marveled by all the signs and how much New York has changed, and keeps pointing at things and asking what they are. Sam explains it all, because he’s better with words than Bucky is, and Bucky feels like Sam and him are parents and Steve’s their little Curious George. He shivers and sends that thought to the bottom of his mind.

They all pick one of the three boxes with all that Bucky owns and enter the apartment, to see Sarah standing with her back to them.   
Sam drops his box and says something about not befriending anymore spies, and then his face drops and he excuses himself. Bucky knows he was thinking about Natasha.   
He leaves his box on a table, and Steve mimics him. Then, he walks toward the girl and hugs her. She looks better than she did the last time he saw her, but she still looks sad, and when they break the hug and she smiles at him, it doesn’t reach her eyes.   
“I brought Steve something.” she says, and points at the brown box on the couch. The blond frowns and looks at the box. “You can pick it up, it won’t blow up.” she says.   
Steve takes small steps towards the couch and sits beside the box. He opens it and takes a frame from it. He shows it to Bucky. It’s a picture of his mother.  
“They’re stuff, from, you know. Your old apartment, from the war. Peggy got them after you went into the ice and they’ve been on my basement since, uhm. Forever.” she smiles. Steve nods at her, and keeps taking things from the box. He takes a brown folder that says CLASSIFIED in red and frowns. “That’s your file. You don’t have to read it if you don’t want to, it’s mostly all stuff the other Cap did.”   
He keeps taking more and more things and Bucky can’t believe he still hasn’t reached the end, until he does, and he takes a pair of dog tags from it. He frowns.   
“These… aren’t mine.” he says, taking his own from under his shirt. Sarah shakes her head.   
“No. You can consider that courtesy of HYDRA.” she says, looking at Bucky.  
The brunet widens his eyes at the realization that those are his dog tags, that HYDRA had kept them all this time. He walks to Steve and takes them from his hands, and sees it for himself.   
James Buchanan Barnes, 32557028.   
He looks at Steve, and he’s looking at him, frowning. “Do you want them?” he asks. Steve shakes his head, and smiles.   
“You keep them. They’re yours.” Bucky nods and puts them in his pocket. Then, he looks at the rest of Steve’s stuff. He sighs.   
“Let’s go get Sam and move in properly, shall we?” he says. Steve nods. 

Alas, it doesn’t take them a long, since they have four boxes between the two of them. Sam comes back cheerful as always, even though Bucky knows he’s not feeling well. He misses Natasha. And he misses Steve, his Steve, his best friend. Not the Steve that lives now on his house, who doesn’t even know him. Hell, he probably misses Tony like shit too. Bucky writes a mental note to make sure he checks on Sam daily.   
So, they’re walking to the hallway with their boxes when Sam says there’s only the two rooms. And they’re three. Bucky frowns, and is about to take dibs on the couch when Steve says.  
“I can sleep with Buck.”   
Bucky looks at him. “What.” he deadpans. Steve smiles, nodding.   
“It’ll be like the old times, when we didn’t have heat at home. Or, you know, like after Austria.”  
Bucky bits down on his lip and looks at Sam, who shrugs, and then Bucky looks at Steve, smiling. He sighs.  
“Okay.”   
And they walk inside a room and Sam helps them unpack and suddenly Bucky is Steve’s roommate again. He looks at the blond, looking out the window, gazing at this new New York he has never seen.   
“Can we go out?” he says. Steve has always been curious by nature, and Bucky can see on his eyes that he can’t wait to see how much New York has changed. He smiles at him.  
“We should wait for Sarah, though.” he said. Steve lowered his head, closing the curtains, and turned to look at the brunet. He frowned.  
“Sarah.” he whispered. “She’s my…”   
“I don’t think it works like that.” Sam interrupts him. “She’s Steve Rogers’s grand daughter, sure. But she’s about as much your relative as she’s mine.”   
Steve frowns deeper. “What do you mean?”   
“I mean that it’s not really your DNA that’s running on her veins. It’s another Steve Rogers’s, so… Not your grand daughter. At all.”   
Steve nods. “So. Some son of a bitch named Steve Rogers did end up marrying Peggy?” he asks, and Bucky snorts.  
“Yeah. Son of a bitch.” he says, nodding. And then Steve says.  
“And now you’re what? Dating Pegg’s grand daughter?” he says. Bucky frowns. What.  
“Dating? You think I’m dating Sarah?” he asks. Steve’s looking at him, frowning. He’s serious. “Oh, my God, Steve. No, nothing like that. I didn’t even know she existed until like… a week ago or something. Probably less. What the hell, Rogers?”  
“You seem close.” he whispers.  
“She’s my best friend’s grand daughter. He made me promise him I was going to protect her.” he explains. He hears Sam leaving the room, probably thinking this is a matter between the two of them.   
“Does she know you’re not dating?” he asks. Bucky sighs.  
“Of course she does, Steve. Where is this coming from? Why are you so against the idea of me dating Sarah?” he asks. Steve looks away, but doesn’t reply. “Steve.” he calls him. The blond sits on the bed, and he sits beside him.  
“It’s just… weird. I come back and suddenly you have a new life and new friends and a possible girlfriend and I… I have been asleep for nearly 80 years, Buck.” he says, looking down at his hands.   
Bucky smiles softly, and puts his hand on Steve’s back. “I know. I’ve been there. But it’ll be okay, I swear. Sam loves you, even if you don’t know him. He’ll help. And I’m here, okay? I’m here for you. And Sarah too. And when you’re ready you could meet my friends. Did Stephen tell you I spent some time in Africa?” Steve looked at him, frowning. “Yeah, and I’m pretty close with a certain royal family. You’ll love them.” he says.  
“Did they know the other Steve?” he asks. Bucky frowns.   
“Yeah. But we’ll figure something out.” Steve nods, and Bucky hugs him.   
The blond doesn’t hug him back, but he leans in his touch, and for now maybe that’s enough. 

 

The next time they see Sarah, it’s in their new shared apartment, two days later. Sam, Steve and him have entered in a comfortable routine where none of them have yet left home, which Bucky doesn’t think it’s actually healthy, but Sam’s the wise one here, so he won’t complain.   
Also, living with Steve in the 21st century has proved itself to be the funniest thing he has experienced in a while.  
On his first morning there, Steve had stared a the microwave for at least ten minutes before turning back and looking for Sam to ask him how to use it. Then, he had tried to use Sam’s coffee machine, the kind that uses those little capsules, and almost broke it. He had looked at Bucky with sheer panic, afraid that he was going to have to buy a new one.   
But the best thing was when Sam told him he could take long showers, even baths, without having the hot water running out. His next bath had been two hours long.   
Steve had found TV certainly entertaining, specially the fact that he could choose whatever he wanted to watch on Netflix and HBO. Bucky still hadn’t gotten hooked to any of those shows, but apparently Steve had watched the first episode of Game of Thrones and loved it.   
That is why when Sarah arrives, Steve is watching the third episode, and when she tells him they all have to talk, he whines, pausing it and looking at her.   
She shakes her head and moves to sit between him and Steve on the couch. Sam on the other hand is in front of them, sitting on a cushion on the floor. Sarah takes a brown folder and opens it on the table on the middle of the group.  
“So, I made some documents for you, Steve.” she says, picking up a passport and a driver license.   
Steve frowns. “Where did you take this picture from?” he asks.  
“Irrelevant. The thing is, I obviously couldn’t put your full name in there, it’d be too suspicious. So I changed it a bit.” she says, pointing to the name on the passport. Bucky leans in to read it. Grant Rogers Byrne. He groans.  
“Really? Grant?” he says. He hated that name.  
“You kept my last name.”  
“It’s actually your middle name, now. And I put Byrne because of your mom, obviously.” she smiles. Steve smiles back, nodding.   
“Yeah. Thank you, Sarah.”   
“You’re welcome… Oh, by the way.” she says, looking at Sam and Bucky. “Uhm. Doctor Banner said he wanted to meet with you. So you should probably take the big guy.” she points at Steve. Sam nods. “Probably.” 

 

Since Sarah suggested going back to the compound would be compromising, such as going anywhere outside their house, they end up inviting Bruce over.   
When the bell rings, it’s Steve who gets the door, before Bucky can stop him, and when he sees what’s on the other side, he whines. And so does Bruce.   
Bucky runs to the door, calling Sam, and takes Steve’s wrist, pulling him inside. The blond moves, but doesn’t look away from the doctor, and when he walks inside, he looks at Bucky.   
“What?” is all he can say. Bucky shakes his head and pushes Steve to the couch, and then Sam comes into the living room and looks around, taking in the situation. He sighs, looking at Bruce.   
“Come in, Bruce. We have a lot to explain.”   
He nods. “Obviously.”   
They brief Bruce in as quick as they can, and after twenty minutes, he frowns.   
“So we’re living in… a parallel timeline?” he asks. Bucky nods. Sam too. “Wow. But everything happened the same?”   
“Mostly. Sarah said Steve tried to make it as similar as possible.” Sam explains. Bruce nods, and looks at Steve.   
“I’m glad you’re back, at least.”   
Steve smiles at him, nodding. “Thanks. I’m sorry your friend is dead.”   
“It’s okay.” he says, softly. “We weren’t that close.”   
Yeah, Bucky thinks. None of them were. Not anymore. 

 

Bruce ends up staying for dinner, and when he leaves, Steve and him go to bed. They still have to buy a second bed, so they’re stuck sleeping pressed against each other.   
“Hey.” he hears Steve whisper after a few minutes. “Are you awake?”  
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” he shifts, facing the blond, and looks at him.   
“Why is your friend green?” he asks, and he sounds so innocent Bucky can’t fight the laugh.  
“He tried to be you. It didn’t work.” Steve frowns.  
“They’re still trying to recreate the serum?” Bucky nods.  
“You’d be surprised. They even tried to steal your blood. Peggy had to throw it to the Hudson.” Steve grimaces, and Bucky laughs again.   
After another few seconds of silence, Steve talks again, looking at him up and down.  
“You’re bigger.” he says. Bucky nods.  
“Zola also tried to recreate the serum. I can kick your ass now.” he smiles. Steve frowns.   
“No, you can’t.” he says.   
“Of course I can! I checked it. I almost killed you when I was still under HYDRA control, nine years ago.” Steve keeps frowning.   
“And why didn’t you?” Bucky smiles wider.  
“You said something.” Steve’s still frowning, so Bucky puts his hand on his arm and whispers. “I’m with you till the end of the line.”   
Steve’s frown turns into a smile, reminiscing the moment Bucky told him that for the first time, and looks down. If it weren’t because the lights were off, Bucky could swear he was blushing.   
“I still am.” he says. “Just so you know.”   
Bucky nods. “Yeah. Right back at you, pal.”   
Steve wriggles a little, trying to find a comfortable position, and then sighs. “I liked this better when we could fit in a bed.”   
“You mean when your heart stopped every time you sneezed?” he asks, and then he puts his arms around Steve. The blond sighs again, rolling his eyes, and puts his head under Bucky’s chin.   
“At least then I could sleep alright.”   
“You slept three hours a day before your asthma woke you up, Stevie.”  
“But they were great!” he says, and then Bucky feels him smiles against his chest. “Mainly because I didn’t have to look at your ugly face.”   
Next thing he knows, the blond is in the floor, and Bucky has taken the whole mattress for himself. “You’re sleeping in the couch today.” 

 

It happens when Steve leaves home for the first time, when Sam claims they’re out of, mainly, everything, and they have to do groceries. Bucky tries to not go by saying someone has to stay and keep an eye on Steve, and then Sam says the three of them are going. Steve’s ready to see the world.  
They go to the supermarket, and Steve looks in wonder at everything. From the doors that open without him touching them, to the cash machines, to the bored cashiers.   
It’s even worse when he sees all the variety of things he can buy now. He runs to the fruit and vegetables first thing, and calls to Bucky, and asks him how the hell there can be strawberries on this time of year. Bucky chuckles, and pats his shoulder, and they keep going.   
They’re on the diary hall when Bucky feels a pull on his sleeve, and looks away from Sam, who’s deciding between three different yogurt flavors, and looks at Steve. He’s scowling and a bit red.   
“Look behind me.” he whispers. Bucky obliges, looking from above Steve’s shoulder, to see a couple of girls giggling together, hugging and talking softly.   
“What?” Bucky asks, raising an eyebrow. Steve looks behind once more, to the oblivion girls. Then he looks at Steve, and he’s even redder.   
“They were kissing.” he says. Bucky’s eyebrows fly to his forehead, and then he understands.   
“Oh.” he says. “Yeah. It’s okay now, Steve. It’s… It’s legal. They won’t get arrested, don’t worry.”   
“Legal? Since… when? Everywhere?”   
“Uhm, not everywhere, but in the US, yeah. Since 2015. It was earlier in some states, though.”   
“When was it here?”  
“Uh. Ask Sam. I wasn’t… around, when it happened.”   
Steve’s still frowning, but he nods, and walks towards Sam. Bucky rubs his eyes, and sighs. Well, that’s one thing less on the Steve-meets-World list.

Then, on their way to the car, Steve’s walking beside him, and he looks at him. “Can I try something?”   
Bucky notices the points of his ears are flushed, so he frowns. “Sure.” he says.   
Steve puts his arm around his shoulder, dragging him closer, like Bucky used to do when nobody could see them back before the war, and then caressed his shoulder with his thumb. He’s looking around, seeing if anyone notices them. When no one does, he hums, but his arm stays there, and Bucky doesn’t complain. 

That night, after dinner, Bucky and Steve are watching TV, when Sam stands in front of Steve and gives him a notebook.   
“This was other Steve’s.” he says. “It was a list of all the things people told me he should check up when he first arrived here. Just in case…” Steve takes it, and reads it. He smiles, looking up at Sam, and thanks him. “No problem. Oh, and you should start with the Troubleman soundtrack. Just… listen to it.”   
“I will.” Steve promises, and Sam wishes them a good night and leaves to his room. Bucky frowns, looking at Steve, who is reading the list again. He really has to talk to Sam.

So the morning after, when Steve’s still in bed – and he sleeps a lot for someone who has been sleeping for 80 years – he goes to the kitchen, where Sam is having his post-running coffee.   
“Hey.” he greets him, and Sam just hums, reading something on his phone.   
Bucky gets his own coffee and sits in front of Sam.   
“So.” he starts. Sam looks at him, raising an eyebrow. “How are you doing?” Sam puts down his phone, taking the mug between his both hands, and tilts his head.   
“Do you want something?” he asks. Bucky chuckles.  
“I just want to talk. You’re on a weird situation, I know that. Nat and Tony… and then Steve. And now this Steve. And Captain America. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”   
Sam nods, biting the inside of his cheek, and takes a deep breath. He looks down.   
“I… I’m fine. It’s part of life. People come and go, and you either move on or get stuck on your misery. I don’t want to be the one who gets stuck. I can’t be the one who gets stuck. I wish it had been different, but there’s not much I can do.”  
“You’re still allowed to mourn. You’re still allowed to let someone in.” Bucky says.   
Sam nods. “You’re one to talk, aren’t you? Look, Barnes. I’m glad you’re worried about me, but believe me. As much as I miss Tony and Nat, mourning them won’t bring them back to me. As much as I miss the other Steve every time I look at this one, he won’t suddenly remember everything we’ve been through. Things happened the way they were, and I’m happy you have your best friend back, because you deserve some normalcy in your life.”   
“You do, too.”   
“I refused to all normalcy the moment I let Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff inside my house. And you should know, I don’t regret it one bit.”  
“Hey, guys.” Steve spoke behind Bucky. He turned back, to see the blond with bed hair, a white tank top and sweats, rubbing his eyes. “What’re you talking ‘bout?” he asked.   
“You know.” Sam said, looking at Bucky. “Just life. Do you want some coffee?”

 

Sam leaves for Avengers duty, but since he doesn’t trust them, he asks Sarah to come over. Luckily enough, she’s free, and it only takes her 20 minutes to reach the apartment. So, Steve decides to use her for her list. He gives it to her, and after she read it twice, she put her phone on the table.   
“So, Steve Jobs is the founder of Apple.” she starts. “That’s a company that, mainly, produces electronic devices. Phones, PCs, all that jazz.” she picks her phone up. “See?” she says, tapping on the apple on the back of it. “It’s a pretty big one.”   
“So you have a phone for yourself? That you can take everywhere?”   
“Yeah. You could have one too, if you wanted. They’re connected to Internet, so you could know what’s happening all the time, and you could check all the things on your list more easily.”   
Steve frowns, and looks at Bucky, who’s watching TV beside them. “Do you have one?”   
“Yeah. But I don’t really like them. Sam makes me have it on me all the time for emergencies.”   
“I want one.” Steve tells Sarah, and she nods.   
“I’ll get one for you. But the main reason I told you this is because they also make these… tablets, that are like phones but bigger, right? And some of them are very good for drawing. In case you want to try them. My grandpa had one I bought him for Christmas and he loved it.”  
Steve smiles. “Well, if he loved it… Thanks, Sarah.”   
“No problem. And when you get the hang of it, maybe you can switch to drawing tablets. They’re connected to your laptop or PC, and they have more quality, and…”  
“Okay, okay, Sarah.” Bucky interrupted her. “I think we’ve had enough of tablets for today.”   
“Sorry. I really like drawing too, so when I get to talk about it I…” she blushes, looking down at her lap. Steve puts one of his hands in her shoulder.   
“It’s okay, I understand.”  
Sarah nods, and smiles at him. “So, I’ll get you an iPhone and an iPad. Cool. Anything else you want?”   
“Yeah. Uh.” he side-looks at Bucky, and leans in to whisper in Sarah’s ear. She opens her eyes and looks at him, frowning.   
“2011. Why?”   
“Just… wondering. Thanks.”   
“No problem… I have to go now, but I’ll bring your phone as soon as I have it. In the meantime, if you need me… You can use Bucky’s.”   
“You’re leaving?” Bucky asks. Sarah nods.   
“Fury wants to talk to me.”  
“Does he know about…?”  
“No. He doesn’t. Don’t worry, he’s still safe.” she stands up, smoothing the wrinkles on her jeans and looks at them. “I’ll see you soon.”  
Bucky waves goodbye at her, and she leaves the house. Not even one minute later, his phone pings. He groans, taking it out.   
Excuse yourself and leave the room. We need to talk. Now.   
Bucky frowns at the message Sarah has just sent and looks at Steve. He’s taken a book that was on the table and is reading it.   
“I’m… gonna go to the bathroom.” he says, standing up. Steve looks at him.   
“Don’t need to announce it, Buck.”   
“Yeah, I know. Just. Nevermind.”   
He walks to the bathroom, and as soon as he closes the door, his phone starts ringing. Bucky picks it up.  
“How did you know I wasn’t with him anymore?”  
“I’m good like that. Now, do you mind explaining to me why Steve asked me when same-sex marriage was legalized in New York?”   
Bucky frowns. Oh, God.  
“What?” he asks.  
“Yeah, that’s what he whispered to me earlier. What did you tell him?” And yeah, maybe he wasn’t looking at her, but he could imagine her pose, arms crossed and eyebrows up on her forehead.   
“Nothing! I… Look, we went to the supermarket and he saw two women kissing. Is that my fault?”   
“You took him without telling me?”  
“It was Sam’s idea!”  
“I don’t care whose idea it was. If he asks about this again, tell me.”  
Bucky’s frowns deepens.  
“Why is that so important?” he asks. Sarah sighs.  
“I worry he might do something stupid.”  
“We’re talking about Steve Rogers, Sarah. Of course he’s gonna do something stupid.”   
“I’ll reach you when I finish my meeting with Fury. Oh, Bucky?”  
“Yeah?”  
“He definitely knows. So you better plan something.”  
Well, fuck.


End file.
